Character Biography: Minna Stein

Daily Diary, May 31, 2023, Day 1002:

I had a very productive day yesterday writing, achieving 924 words written on the short story. Today was one of those days when I feel like I have mostly deleted or moved around what I wrote yesterday, rather than writing anything new. I know the problem is that the scene has gotten too long, and I haven't made up my mind whether to just accept that or figure out a way to break it up into two scenes.

But that may have to wait for tomorrow, because after lunch and a scheduled phone call, I don't have much time before it will be time for my second walk, and I wanted to get this last biography posted. It was nice and sunny this morning, but it has gone all May Gray again, and the weather forecast says we are going right into at least another couple of weeks of June Gloom! But this rose bush was definitely enjoying the morning sunshine.

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Minna Stein

Minna Stein was born in 1844, which will make her thirty-eight in the fall of 1882, which is when the events in Dandy and the Dognappers occurs. She is the daughter of Esther and Herman Stein, who have been important characters since the beginning of the series, see the short story, Madam Sybil’s First Case, for the origin story of their involvement with Annie Fuller Dawson and the O’Farrell Street boardinghouse. While I in subsequent stories, mentioned that they had six children, giving a couple of them very minor roles, I only introduced Minna, their one unmarried daughter, in the most recent novella, Mrs. Stein Solves a Crime. Initially, I had intended to describe her in this novella, but it was one of those threads I finally decided to cut, but I saved the biographical information I had created, because I was sure I would use her eventually.

Physical Description: When I created Minna, I described her in my notes as: “Tall, dark brunette, athletic; lean, flat chested, slim hips, striking dark blue eyes, mobile dark eye-brows, merry laugh.”

Personality: Although Minna had only a tiny, tiny mention in Mrs. Stein Solves a Crime, Esther Stein does briefly describe her as good with children and indicates that she is kind, bringing up that she is the only one of her children who treated the youngest daughter, Hetty, sympathetically. Esther also suggests that Minna has gotten tired of being expected to move in with whichever sibling needed her services—playing the classic role of a “maiden aunt.” I picture Minna as sharp-witted, with a wry sense of humor. But I am sure more about her will be revealed as I weave her into this and subsequent stories.

I do know I intend on mentioning she is an artist, not sure what kind yet, and that she is frustrated because she hasn’t been able to pursue her art seriously up until now. I am actually pretty excited about her arrival in this current story (haven’t written these scenes yet), because I hope to use her in my next full-length novel, which is tentatively going to be about women artists in San Francisco.